Gunsight attachment



Feb. 19, 1957 o, GRlMBLE 1 2,781,583

GUNSIGHT ATTACHMENT Filed A ril 20, 1955 l INVENTOR. M 0 2M /9/ 0...! iv10/ I "7 7 Arm/Mfrs.

United States Patent GUNSIGHT ATTACHMENT Donald 0. Grimble, EagleHarbor, N. Y.

Application April 20, 1955, Serial No. 502,661

1 Claim. (CI. 33-47) This invention relates to a gunsight attachment fora single barrel shotgun.

As conventionally constructed at the present time, a single barrelshotgun is provided with a front sight in the form of a small ball orbead suitably mounted on the top of the gun barrel adjacent the muzzleend thereof. Such a bead type sight is satisfactory enough for huntingsmall game with buckshot, but is unsatisfactory because not permittingsufliciently accurate aiming when the gun is used with slugs for huntingbig game such as deer.

It is accordingly the primary object of the present invention to providean attachment for a single barrel shotgun to convert its normal frontbead type sight into one having a blade extending upright andlongitudinally of the gun barrel, such as is used on rifles, therebypermitting the shotgun to be aimed more accurately when firing slugs.

Another object is to provide such a gunsight attachment which in itsmounting on the shotgun barrel mechanically cooperates with some part ofthe existing front bead sight so as to insure that the attached bladetype sight is properly oriented on the gun barrel insofar as its angularposition is concerned.

Another object is to provide such a gunsight attachment which does notrequire any preliminary modification or alteration of the shotgun barrelin order to adapt it to receive the attachment.

A further object is to provide such a gunsight attachment which issimple in construction and which can be easily and quickly applied orremoved as is required for the type of hunting being engaged in by thehunter.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a gunsight attachment embodying one formof the present invention and showing the same removed from the muzzle ofa single barrel shotgun which is also illustrated in this figure, suchgun barrel having one conventional form of bead type front sight shownthereon.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the gunsightattachment shown in Fig. 1 but showing the same mounted in operativeposition on the gun barrel.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof taken on line3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken on line 44, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a gunsightattachment embodying another form of the present invention and showingthe same mounted in operative position on a gun barrel which has aslightly different construction of bead type front sight from that shownin Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof taken on line 66,Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken on line 77, Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 4, there is illustrated therein the barrel10 of a shotgun having one form of a conventional bead type front sightmounted on the top of the barrel adjacent the muzzle end thereof. Suchsight includes a small ball or head 11 suitably centrally mounted on aboss or base 12 which is shown as having opposite parallel verticalsides 13, 13. The sides 13 extend longitudinally of the gun barrel andthe boss 12 is suitably fixed to the gun barrel.

The gunsight attachment indicated generally at 14 is shown as beingadapted for quick and easy application to and removal from the shotgunbarrel just described.

The gunsight attachment 14 is shown as comprising a cylindrical sleeve15 adapted to embrace the exterior of the gun barrel 10 as illustratedin Figs. 2 through 4. Such sleeve 15 is held on the gun barrel 10 in anysuitable manner such as by the set screw 16 shown as arranged in athreaded hole at the bottom central part of the sleeve 15. The set screw16 preferably has in its outer end an out-of-round recess (not shown)adapted to receive an Allen type wrench (not shown) whereby this setscrew can be readily turned either to tighten or loosen the same.

The continuity of the sleeve 15 at the top thereof is interrupted and isshown as having an upstanding head 18. This head 18 is shown as being inthe form of an inverted channel running longitudinally of the sleeve 15and formed integrally therewith. The head 18 thereby has a groovedefined by parallel opposite vertical surfaces 19 transversely spacedfrom each other. The spacing between the opposing surfaces 19 is equalto the spacing between the opposite vertical sides 13 of the boss 12 forthe ball sight 11 on the gun barrel. The groove so defined by theopposing surfaces 19 is open at its rear end and closed at its front endby a transverse web 20 which serves to tie together the two ends of theotherwise split sleeve 15. The web 20 is preferably formed integrallywith the sleeve 15 and head 18.

The top or crest of the head 18 is shown as provided with a slot 21which runs longitudinally completely through the head 18 from front torear and partly through the transverse web 20 as shown in Fig. 2.

Arranged within the slot 21 is a sight blade 22. This sight blade 22 maybe of any desired configuration but as shown is in the form of aflat-sided relatively thin plate having an upwardly and forwardlyinclined rear end face 23 and at its front and opposite end a dependingportion 24 adapted to rest on the upwardly facing shoulder 25 on the topof the web 20. As best shown in Fig. l, the rear upper edge portion ofthe head 18 is inclined as indicated at 26 on opposite sides of theblade 22 so as to be coplanar with the inclined rear end face 23thereof.

The blade 22 may be firmly held in the slot 21 in the head 18 of thegunsight attachment in any suitable manner. As shown in Figs. 1 through4, the blade 22 is pressfitted into the slot 21 and the bottom edge ofthis blade, in rear of the depending portion 24, is shown as being inalinement with the inner surface of the groove formed by the channelshaped head 18.

It will be noted that the height of this groove in the head 18 isslightly greater than the vertical distance between the top or peak ofthe ball sight 11 and the upper surface of the gun barrel 10. Inapplying the gunsight attachment shown in Figs. 1 through 4, the setscrew 16 is first loosened or backed ofi to permit the sleeve 15 to heslid over the external periphery of the gun barrel 10 with the opposingparallel faces 19 of the attachment sliding along the opposite verticalfiat sides 13 of the boss 12 for the head 11. When the gunsightattachment has been arranged in the position shown in Fig. 2 withrespect to the gun barrel 10, the set screw 16 is tightened so as tofirmly maintain the gunsight attachment in this position. When somounted the gunsight attachment covers the bead sight 11 which, ineffect, is arranged in a pocket closed at its front end so that when theuser of the gun with the attachment thereon sights down the barrel hewill not see the bead sight but the blade sight 22 will be upstandingand exposed and he can sight along this blade. It will be noted that thestraddling of the opposite lateral sides 13 of the base 12 for the head11 by the opposing faces 19 of the head 18 of the gunsight attachment,orients the blade 22 in vertical alignment with the center of the bead11 and thereby the proper angular position of the blade 22 on the gunbarrel will be automatically determined.

The modified form of gunsight attachment indicated generally at 28 inFigs. 5 through 7 is adapted for a different type of front bead sightfrom that shown in Figs. 1 through 4. Referring to Figs. 5 through 7 thegun barrel 101 is shown as being equipped with a front sight 111 whichis in the form of a small ball or bead. This bead 111 is shown asmounted on the gun barrel 101 by a very short post 121 which is suitablyconnected to the bead and barrel at opposite ends so as to support thebead slightly above the top surface of the barrel. The post 121 at nopoint has a thickness greater than the diameter of the bead 111.

In the form of gunsight attachment 28 shown in Figs. 5 through 7 thereis direct engagement between the bead 111 and the attachment 28 whenmounting the latter on the gun barrel 101. The gunsight attachment 28has a cylindrical sleeve 151, a set screw 161 at its bottom, and anupstanding head 181 at its top and formed similarly to the head 18previously described for the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1through 4, except that the groove or recess of the head 181 is providedwith inner vertical opposing surfaces 191 which converge toward thefront end of the gunsight attachment and are joined by the transverseweb 201. The convergent inner surfaces 191 are adapted to engage theopposite sides of the bead 111 as shown in Fig. 7.

The head 181 of the gunsight attachment 28 is shown as provided with alongitudinally running slot 211 adapted to receive the sight blade 221.The sight blade 221 is similar in construction to the blade 22 describedin connection with Figs. 1 through 4. However, instead of beingpress-fitted into its slot, the blade 221 is shown as being held in theslot 211 by means of a pair of transverse pins 29 which are arranged inregistered holes provided in the upper part of the head 181 and theblade 221.

In applying the gunsight attachment 28 to the gun barrel 101, theattachment, with its set screw 161 first being loosened, is slid overthe barrel until the opposing convergent inner surfaces 191 engagefirmly the bead 111. Thereafter the set screw 161 is tightened so as tohold the attachment in this position. It will be noted that the gunsightattachment 28 is adapted to accommodate beads similar to 111 ofdifferent diameters, a different diameter for such a bead merelychanging the axial position of the attachment relative to the bead. Arelatively 4 larger bead than the bead 111 illustrated will engage thesurfaces 191 closer to the open and more widely spaced end of thesesurfaces.

As with the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 4, themodified form of gunsight attachment shown in Figs. 5 through 7 coversthe front bead sight on the gun barrel and by cooperation therewithinsures the vertical alinement of the sight blade 221 with the center ofsuch bead.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides asimple, easily and quickly mountable and demountable gunsight attachmentfor converting a single barrel shotgun provided with the usual frontbead sight into a gun equipped with a front blade type sight which willbe properly angularly positioned on the gun barrel since the attachmentis centered by mechanical cooperation with some part of the bead sight.It will further be seen that the gunsight attachment of the presentinvention is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and since its userequires no preliminary alteration of the gun barrel for its reception,it can be sold as an accessory item for conventional single barrelshotguns. Of course, the internal diameter of the cylindrical sleeveportion of the gunsight attachment will vary for the particular gauge ofshotgun for which it is intended. It will also be seen that the sightblade carried by the attachment can be removed without great difficultyfor repair or replacement with another configuration of blade typesight, as the user may prefer.

I claim:

A gunsight attachment for a shotgun barrel having a bead sight adjacentits muzzle end and including a bead, said attachment comprising a sleeveadapted to be slid onto said barrel, means for holding said sleeve fastto said barrel after being mounted thereon, an upstanding head on saidsleeve and having a recess therein open at its rear end and closed atits front end and on its inner side; opening to the interior of saidsleeve and having opposing fiat side walls converging toward the frontend thereof, the angle between said side walls being bisected by animaginary plane in which the central longitudinal axis of said sleevelies, said recess being adapted to receive said bead with saidconvergent side walls engaging opposite sides thereof so as to angularlyposition the attachment on said barrel, and a sight blade on said headand projecting upwardly from the top thereof in vertical alinement withsaid axis and hence with said bead.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS852,047 Westlake Apr. 30, 1907 1,222,620 Gaynor et a1 Apr. 17, 19171,318,424 Williams Oct. 14, 1919 1,743,906 Valeriano Jan. 14, 19302,079,266 Vaver May 4, 1937 2,239,231 Hooks Apr. 22, 1941

